Valve’s SteamOS: A proprietary OS for free, coming to your living room

Valve has unveiled SteamOS, an operating system based on Linux and designed for home entertainment, adding support for streaming of video games, music, movies and TV.

Valve Corp. has taken one further step forward to bring Linux OS to your living room. Value’s SteamOS, a proprietary operating system built around the Linux and aimed to take advantage of the large television screens. Most likely, it constitutes the foundation of the Gamereactor project.

SteamOS is a real operating system to replace Windows, Mac OS and other Linux Distros that support traditional steaming ways today. It’s not yet ready for distribution but will be provided to the users for absolutely free and forever, said Gabe Newell.

DOWNLOADABLE SOON. FREE FOREVER.

As per the policies of company, users can modify or replace any part of software or hardware and can participate in the development of their beloved games. “We’ve come to the conclusion that the environment best suited to delivering value to customers is an operating system built around Steam itself,” said Valve. “SteamOS combines the rock-solid architecture of Linux with a gaming experience built for the big screen.”

Steam supports Linux for several months, but the availability of licenses for that platform is currently limited. However, it is inevitable that with SteamOS migration to Linux will grow stronger. The new operating system from Valve supports types of home streaming that will allow users to use your Mac or Windows PC to deliver content to the SteamOS devices, connected to the TV.

SteamOS will also offer several features not related to video games only, but it will also make the Valve draft a hub of entertainment, aimed especially to challenge the Xbox LIVE and PlayStation Network, which will play music, movies and TV. Moreover, in the field of gaming, users will be able to share their games in the library with the members of their household, with profiles, unlockable achievements and saved states.

When it comes to SteamOS device, the much talked console Steam Box is here to compete with Wii U, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. The console is expected to unveil in the next few days when the Valve will make three major announcements in an attempt to push more Steam in the living rooms.

In this regard, Nvidia is also preparing something surprising as anticipated by a tweet by the vice president of Epic Games, Marc Rein. “Earlier this week I saw the most amazing thing made by @NVIDIA – no, it’s not a GPU, but gamers will love it.”

The most credible rumors claim a possible partnership between the Valve and NVIDIA for the design of Steam Box. At present, there are no details about a release date of SteamOS, except the company has set a teaser page showing three announcements (One is the SteamOS) to be made in coming days.